An iron is the only appliance in a household capable of destroying a garment in under two seconds. Every other laundry mistake is recoverable to some degree. A scorch mark, a melted sequin or a flattened velvet pile is not.

The rules are simple and worth knowing precisely.

The three universal rules

1. Always iron on the reverse side. Every fabric, every time. The face of a garment is what people see, and it is the surface most easily damaged by shine, scorch or crushing.
2. Start cool and work up. You can always increase the heat. You cannot undo a scorch.
3. Use a pressing cloth for anything delicate, embellished or dark. A clean cotton handkerchief or a piece of muslin between the iron and the garment prevents both scorching and the shiny patches that dark fabrics develop under direct heat.

Fabric by fabric

Cotton

High heat, steam permitted, and ideally iron while slightly damp. Cotton is the most forgiving fabric and the one that most needs ironing, since it creases readily. Iron on the reverse for dark colours to avoid shine.

Linen

High heat with generous steam, and ironed damp. Dry linen is extremely difficult to press. Accept that linen will crease again within the hour; that is the nature of the fabric and not a failure of your technique.

Rayon and viscose

Low to medium heat, reverse side, and ideally through a pressing cloth. Rayon scorches easily and can develop a permanent shine under direct high heat. Iron while slightly damp, because dry rayon resists the crease.

Silk

Low heat, reverse side, pressing cloth, and no steam directly onto the fabric. Water droplets leave permanent watermarks on silk. If the garment is creased badly, steam it from a distance rather than pressing it.

Georgette and chiffon

Lowest heat setting, always through a pressing cloth. These fabrics are thin and synthetic-adjacent and will melt or pucker under moderate heat. A steamer is a substantially better tool for both.

Chanderi

Low to medium, reverse side, with a pressing cloth. Chanderi has a silk content and a delicate hand, and it will not tolerate the treatment cotton accepts.

Polyester and synthetic blends

Low heat, no exceptions. Polyester melts. A too-hot iron will fuse the fibres and leave a hard, shiny, permanent patch that cannot be removed.

Wool and wool blends

Medium heat with steam, always through a damp pressing cloth, and press rather than glide. Dragging an iron across wool stretches and distorts it.

Velvet

Do not iron it. Direct contact crushes the pile permanently. Steam it, hanging, from a distance.

Embroidered and embellished garments

The rule here is absolute: never allow the iron to touch the embellishment.

• Turn the garment inside out and iron only the reverse, so that the embroidery rests on the board face down.
• Place a thick towel on the ironing board beneath the embroidered area. The raised work sinks into the towel rather than being crushed flat.
• Iron around the work, not over it.
• Sequins, plastic beads and metallic zari will melt, discolour or blacken on direct contact with a hot plate. There is no recovery from this.

When to steam instead

A garment steamer is the better tool for a considerable proportion of an ethnic wardrobe, and it is worth owning if you buy embellished clothing.

Steam rather than iron when: the garment is embroidered, embellished, sequinned or beaded; the fabric is velvet, silk, georgette or chiffon; the garment is lined and the layers would flatten together; or you simply want to freshen a garment between wears rather than press it properly.

Iron rather than steam when: you need a sharp, crisp finish, particularly on collars, cuffs, pleats and trouser creases; the fabric is cotton or linen; or the creases are deep and set.

Steaming is gentler, faster, and cannot scorch. It also does not produce the sharp finish an iron gives, which is why both tools have a place.

Small things that prevent most ironing entirely

• Remove clothes from the machine immediately after the cycle ends. Creases set as fabric dries in a crumpled heap.
• Shake each garment out sharply and hang it while it is still damp. Gravity does a large part of the work for you.
• Hang a creased garment in the bathroom while you shower. The steam relaxes light creases without any effort at all.
• Fold rather than cram. Most storage creases are self-inflicted.

The best ironing technique is the one you never have to use.

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